The present technology relates to a display control apparatus, a display control method, and a computer program product, and more particularly to a display control apparatus, a display control method, and a computer program product that display related information related to items such as icons such that they can be easily recognized by a user.
For example, with electronic devices such as personal computers (PCs), digital cameras, mobile terminals, TVs (television receivers), and car navigation apparatus, icons may be implemented as a user interface whereby a user supplies input to an electronic device.
In a user interface implementing icons, there are display methods that display explanatory messages explaining what an icon represents. For example, there is a method that displays a static explanatory message, and a method that displays an explanatory message for an icon in the case where a cursor that moves according to operations of directional keys or other cursor keys is positioned over that icon.
Meanwhile, as a user interface implementing icons, there is for example a user interface using a touchscreen, wherein a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel that displays icons, etc. and a touch panel that detects touches by the user's finger, etc. are integrated together.
In a user interface that uses a touchscreen, a function assigned to an icon displayed on the touchscreen is executed when that icon is touched.
As above, in a user interface that uses a touchscreen, since a function assigned to an icon is executed when triggered by that icon being touched, it may be difficult to use the touching of an icon as a trigger for displaying an explanatory message for that icon.
For this reason, in a user interface that uses a touchscreen, a guide icon (button) for guidance is provided, for example, and an explanatory message for a desired icon is displayed when the desired icon is touched after touching the guide icon.
In contrast, in recent years there have been proposed display methods that use a display panel which detects the proximity of a user's finger, etc., and display a menu when the user's finger, etc. comes into proximity with the display panel (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-108841, for example).